Keeping Color In Your Shrub Beds All Season
Are your shrub beds looking a little … lackluster? In this segment of The Marc and Mandy Show, landscaping expert Troy Barkman shares tips for creating a shrub bed that will offer color all season long.
Right Plant/Right Spot
The best way to create your contrast and color is by knowing your plants. Some plants will thrive if they are in direct sunlight, others prefer the shade. A good rule of thumb is to pick out shrubs which match in color throughout the season – for example, foliage or bark color.
Color Coordinate
Another general rule of thumb: yellows, reds, and dark colors often fit together, as they are warmer colors. The same goes for flower colors; you want to plant plants based on their flower color, so that when they bloom, you have some sort of continuity, rather than a random smattering of multi-color.
Bloom Time
You should also make sure you know the typical blooming length of your plants, so that come fall, you won’t have some that still have color and some that are entering fall mode. For instance, fruit plants, such as strawberries and raspberries tend to bloom later in the season, while flower plants, such as hydrangea, tend to flower year-round.
